News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 1
June 2011
Level ≥ Advanced
Style ≥ Individual or group activities
Welcome to the Guardian Weekly’s special news-based materials to support learners and teachers of
English. Each month, the Guardian Weekly newspaper selects topical news articles that can be used to
practise English language skills. The materials are graded for two levels: Advanced and Lower Intermediate.
These worksheets can be downloaded free from guardian.co.uk/weekly/. You can also find more advice
for teachers and learners from the Guardian Weekly’s Learning English section on the site.
Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould
Fishermen to catch plastic in EU plan to protect fish
Washed up ... plastic on a Scottish beach Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Before reading
1
The article is about problems related to sea fishing.
Read the questions below and make notes with a
partner.
a Why do you think fish stocks are falling in seas
around the world?
b What do you think can be done to stop these
problems?
Share your ideas with the class.
2 Read the headline and caption. Complete the
paragraph with words from the headline.
There are new plans within the area of
which aim to
the (a)
(b)
fish stocks.
In future, some (c)
may be encouraged to take
(d)
instead of catching
(e)
out of the sea
.
≥2
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 2
June 2011
3 Vocabulary from the article. Match the verbs to the
synonyms.
ban
1 swallow
a
discard
2 forbid officially
b
dwindle 3 be against
c
eliminate 4 throw away
d
ingest
5 promise
e
oppose
6 become gradually less
f
vow
7 get rid of (a problem etc)
g
What level of formality are the verbs?
Article
Fishermen to catch plastic in
EU plan to protect fish
1
Fishermen will be paid to catch plastic, rather
than fish, under bold plans from the EU’s
fisheries chief aimed at providing fleets with
an alternative income to reduce pressure on
dwindling fish stocks.
2 Maria Damanaki, commissioner for fisheries,
has unveiled a trial project in the Mediterranean.
Fishermen will use nets to round up the plastic
detritus that is threatening marine life and send
it for recycling.
3 The move is intended as a sweetener to
fishermen who have opposed the European
commission’s plans to ban the wasteful practice
of discarding edible fish at sea; fleets fear losing
money by not being able to discard lower-value
catch.
4 Damanaki has vowed to press on with her plan to
eliminate discards, citing the strength of public
opinion in EU countries on the issue.
5 Two-thirds of fish caught in some areas is thrown
back, usually dead, because fleets exceed their
quota, unintentionally catch juveniles or species
for which they lack a quota, or because higher
value fish are made a priority and lesser species
are thrown away. About 1m tonnes are thrown
back each year in the North Sea alone.
6 “Ending this practice of throwing away
edible fish is in the interest of fishermen and
consumers,” Damanaki said. “We cannot have
consumers afraid to eat fish because they hate
this problem of discards. People [in the fishing
industry] feel insecure, because this is a change.
That is why they need incentives.”
7 Fishermen who clear plastic will be subsidised
initially by EU member states, but in future
the scheme could turn into a self-sustaining
profitable enterprise, as fleets cash in on the
increasing value of recycled plastics. Cleaning up
the rubbish will also improve the prospects for
fish and other marine species, which frequently
choke or suffer internal damage from ingesting
small pieces of non-biodegradable packaging.
8 The opposition Damanaki faces over her
proposals was evident in Brussels last month
when fishing representatives attacked the plan.
One said: “The consequence of this will be a
much, much, smaller fleet.”
9 An alternative suggested by some member states
is to make phasing out of discards voluntary.
Damanaki rejected this. “We have been talking
about discards for more than a decade. Now we
need radical reform. Time is running out,” she
said.
Fiona Harvey Brussels
Glossary
commissioner (noun) an official who is head of an
important department
detritus (noun) pieces of rubbish left after something
has been broken up or used
sweetener (noun) something that is given to
somebody in order to persuade them to do something
(fishing) quota (noun) the limited amount of fish
which a fisherman is allowed to catch
≥3
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 3
June 2011
e Why might the new scheme have a positive impact
on all marine life?
While reading
1
Read the article. Tick the statements that are correct.
Underline where you find the information in the text.
The new plan to catch plastic …
aims to give fisherman another way of earning
a
money.
will begin in a bold way in all EU countries.
b
hopes to reduce opposition by fishermen to rules
c
about discarding.
may be popular with the public if it cuts fish
d
discards.
will make a profit for the fishermen from the start.
e
is unpopular with the people who represent fleets.
f
will involve a voluntary scheme to slowly stop
g
discarding fish.
f According to fishing representatives, what might be
the consequence of the new proposals?
g Why is Damanaki so insistent that bold changes need
to happen soon?
2 Read the article again and answer the questions.
a What will happen to the plastic?
b Why are the fisherman reluctant to stop the practice
of discarding fish?
After reading
1
c In your own words, give three reasons why fish are
often thrown back.
Phrasal verbs – Read the article and underline all the
phrasal verbs. Find verbs to match the definitions
below.
a to stop using something gradually over a period of
time
b to gain financial advantage from a situation
c to change from one thing into another
d Where will the money come from at first for the new
plan?
d to continue doing something in a determined way
e to use up the supply of something
≥4
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
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June 2011
f to arrive on the shore, carried by waves
g to find and gather things together
2 Use the correct form of the phrasal verbs from
exercise 1 to complete the text below.
Every year large numbers of plastic bottles
on to the
(a)
beaches of Europe. However, this problem may soon
improve if the EU fisheries commissioner Maria
Damanaki (b)
with
her latest plan.
In the new scheme, fishermen will be encouraged to
(c)
plastic detritus
with their fishing nets. They can then
(d)
the rising price
of old plastics which recycling centres eventually
(e)
shopping bags
Activity – discussion
Work in pairs and choose one of the characters
below. Make notes about your character’s ideas on
the new plan for catching plastic. Refer to the article
for vocabulary. Conduct a role play discussion
about the new plan in pairs. Then reflect on your
performance and check any further vocabulary that
you needed. Swap partners with another pair and
repeat.
Student A – You are a European fisherman/woman.
You are against the plan because you believe that
catching plastic is an insult to the ancient skills and
traditions of your profession.
Student B – You are a representative of the EU. You
believe the new plan is a good way to use the skills of
fishermen to clean the seas and provide compensation
for the end the discard system. You would like to
persuade fishermen to move with the times and accept
the plan.
or packaging.
Damanaki believes this scheme will compensate
fisherman for the loss of income when she
(f)
the practice
of discarding fish over the next few years. She aims to
stop this unpopular system before the public’s patience
finally (g)
.
Answers
Before reading
1 a Possible answers: overfishing, water pollution, rubbish, destruction of marine
habitats.
b Possible answers: fishing quotas or bans, stringent laws to stop pollution or
habitat destruction, rubbish clearance.
2 a EU b protect c fishermen d plastic e fish
3a 2 b 4 c 6 d 7 e 1 f 3 g 5; Very formal
While reading
1 Correct statements: a, c, d, f.
2 a It will be caught in nets and sent for recycling.
b They’re worried about losing money.
c The fish are discarded because the fisherman: go above their quota, think the
fish are too young, identify the species as not part of their quota or think they’re
not valuable enough.
d EU member states.
e It will reduce the amount of plastic ingested by all marine creatures.
f A reduction in the size of the fishing fleet.
g The discussions have lasted for over 10 years and time is running out.
After reading
1 a phase out b cash in on c turn into d press on e run out f wash up g round up
2 a wash up b presses on c round up d cash in on e turn into f phases out
g runs out